Speaking to Lord Alan Sugar, who stars on The Apprentice, Piers said: "Ultimately the issue, it seems to me, seeing this with two Love Island contestants who took their lives and now this tragedy on The Jeremy Kyle Show, these people are going on television.

"No one is forcing them to. It raises a lot of complex issues on whether they are up for doing it.

"You can check people as much as they like but ultimately if they want to do it, they know the show they’re appearing on and they know what will happen."

Lord Sugar replied: "I agree, but in defence of shows like The Apprentice or Britain's Got Talent and so on, it's an ongoing process.

4

Lord Alan Sugar doesn't think The Jeremy Kyle Show is good televisionCredit: ITV

"We have people looking after the candidates all the time. We have a house team who are there watching them all the time.

"The Jeremy Kyle Show is a different kettle of fish, a different format as you know.

"It is not perhaps what I would see as good television.

"But on our show, these people are looked after very well."

4

The Jeremy Kyle Show has been cancelled indefinitely after the death of a guest

Jeremy Kyle show pulled off air and suspended indefinitely after guest died shortly after filming

Lord Sugar also spoke about The Apprentice's recruitment process and explained how every candidate has to see a psychiatrist before they make it on to the programme.

He said: "They have to talk about their past life and whether they can take the stress and all that.

"The BBC and I'm sure at ITV, they have a duty of care that they can't let people enter the process if they can't deal with the pressure."

Most Read in TV & Showbiz

(EL)TON OF SUPPORT

Elton John helps ex he jilted 50 years ago after she falls on hard times